Icicle
by RaiLei
Summary: Note to self: Never listen to Ash ... but naturally, Dawn had to learn that the hard way. R


She was lost.

It was dark, and it was _his entire_ fault!

Dawn couldn't help but shudder – she was done trying to fight off the cold.

As she clutched the heavy blanket that was draped around her shoulders, she _knew_ she should have listened to her intuition. But, no, she had listened to Ash and Brock, who had claimed to have been through worse storms then this before.

Night was starting to fall, a dust of white covering their paths as they started up the mountainside towards Snowpoint City – the _name_ sounded ominous enough in her opinion. There had been a small lodge at the bottom of the mountain for tired travelers, but Ash and shrugged it off saying he didn't _need_ it and managed to convince her to come to, saying that Paul and Zoey would beat her to the city.

Then, night had fallen and everything seemed darker and the same in the thick, falling snow and the strong winds that tried to knock her over. And, _naturally_, she found herself separated from Ash and Brock.

There was no doubt in her mind that surviving the cold night would be _easy_ for them.

She loved the Pokémon she had, but she found herself wishing she had fire type.

**Note to self**: Don't listen to Ash's silly ideas.

When she caught up with him the next morning [if she _hadn't_ frozen that was] she was going to kill him.

And that was how Dawn found herself wandering around in a blizzard, lost.

"Oh come on!" she moaned, trying to get her Poketech to say something other then '_looking for service_'. "I just need a map . . . don't do this to me!"

It was just her luck to have no sense of direction.

She had no idea if she was going up or down or wandering around in circles.

Her Poketech didn't want to work and the wind kept blowing her heavy blanket open, making her scream as the cold wind assaulted her once again.

Not only _didn't_ she have good direction, but she had bad luck to boot.

She decided earlier – when she could _still_ feel her legs that was – that she was going to buy some pants and a jacket in the snow city.

"Ash!" she yelled for the tenth time, the wind carrying her voice away from her. "Brock!" _Maybe_ they'd be close by this time? "Pikachu!" She bit her lip, they _could_ be here too. "Team Rocket?"

She heard her voice echo away from her into the night, and biting her lip, she strained to hear a voice echoing back to her. She let out a sigh as the only answer she got was a loud howl from the wind.

She was _alone_ and they were somewhere . . . _**warm**_.

"Ahh!" she yelled as another strong wind assaulted her, almost blowing the blanket out of her cold grasp. She shuddered, her teeth chattering as the wind rushed around her long frozen legs, hunks of snow falling into her boots. "Is **anyone** there?"

It was silent, and then she heard an echo; "Who's out there?"

Dawn couldn't help but almost feel like her heard was going to pound its way out of her chest. Someone was out here too . . . sure it _wasn't_ Ash or Brock, but maybe they had a map, or a better sense of direction then she did.

"I'm _freezing_!" Dawn couldn't help but yell. "I can't feel anything . . . and I'm _lost_!"

But surely, the other person had already guessed that.

"Just stay where you are!"

Dawn nodded to herself, her eyes narrowed from the wind as she looked around. Someone was here . . . they were close by . . . but _where_? Looking wildly around her – she wanted _out_ of this cold! – she paused as she caught sight of a small beam of light, muted by the thick falling snow. Dawn couldn't but smile; there they were!

Sure, she was _supposed_ to stay in one spot – but she couldn't help but run in the direction of the light. If it could knock five minutes off of her trek through the snow, she was _all_ for it. The snow was deep, her run being no more then a quick walk as she tried to wade through the almost knee high snow. Dawn rolled her eyes, inwardly cursing herself as she tripped more often then not, bringing out her bare hands to balance herself.

"No!" she yelled, a shudder escaping her as her hands planted right into the nearest snow bank, her heavy blanket having blown off her when she unconsciously let go of it to balance herself. She couldn't help but watch the heavy fabric disappear into the dark. "I needed that . . ." she moaned, dropping her head.

Shaking her head, she _couldn't_ do anything about the lost blanket now; she pushed herself out of the snow, wrapping her arms around her small frame. "Now, I **really** need to get out of here," she nodded to her own statement, trying to pick up her pace.

She glanced at the light – which she was steadily getting closer to – and it wasn't a couple minutes later, the light glowing brighter, did she crash headlong into something solid . . . and warm she vaguely nodded. Dawn let out a sigh, her eyes closing slightly as she brought her arms up, grabbing a portion of their coat. "I'm so glad you're out here," she chirped, her voice muffled slightly. "I have no idea where I am right now, I was trying to get to Snowpoint City and I lost my friends and now, I just _lost_ my blanket. I have such bad –"

"Dawn?"

Dawn blinked, confusion written across her face as she looked up. Her expression froze, quickly turning into surprise – a large grin appearing on her face – as she noticed the person she had collided with.

"G-Gary?" What was _he_ doing way out here? "W-what are you doing out here?"

Gary just grinned his crooked grin at her, shaking his head, his brown hair falling across his eyes. "I'm trying to locate the Legendary Pokémon that's said to reside in Lake Acuity," he shook his head, a frown appearing his features. "But, so far, I haven't found anything to make my theory solid."

"I see," Dawn said, trying to keep her voice level. She couldn't help but wince, shuddering slightly as another wind swirled around them.

"Oh," Gary shook his head, shaking his head. Pulling Dawn away from him slightly, he shrugged off his backpack, the heavy pack falling with a thud to the ground. "Here, I am talking about _theories_ while you're freezing."

Standing there with Gary, Dawn had _actually_ forgotten – well, kind of – about her current predicament.

"Here, it's _hardly_ what you need, but it'll work for a moment or so," Gary said, his bag unzipped as he ruffled through it. Dawn blinked, automatically catching the item he threw at her. "Snowpoint City is only about twenty kilometers from here, we'll make it there."

Dawn's eyes lit up as she unraveled the item in her hands.

She felt her heart hammer against her ribcage as the item took the form of a windbreaker jacket.

"Gary, you're the _**best**_!" Dawn couldn't help but exclaim, greedily shoving her arms into the thin jacket.

Gary shook his head, laughing slightly at the blue haired girls antics as he shouldered his backpack once more. "Come on, we'll make it to Snowpoint City, Dawn. I think you need a good rest at the Poke Center."

Dawn couldn't help but let out a laugh as she zipped the coat up as far as it would go, shoving her hands up the sleeves. "I _can't_ wait!"

"Come on then," Gary said, reaching back for her hand before turning into the harsh wind and blowing snow.

Dawn trailed along behind Gary, her cold fingers gripping his as tight as possible. She squinted as the snow beat down on them, and picking up her pace slightly, she shadowed Gary, intent on keeping out of the wind. She thought she heard Gary chuckle, but she couldn't be sure as the wind howled around them. She saw his head shake slightly though, so _maybe_ she was right.

Deep in her thoughts, her fingers wrapping tighter again around his, she walked right into his back as he came to a sudden stop before her. Dawn stumbled slightly, quickly righting herself, a tinge of confusion in her features. Using her sleeve to brush the snow off her pink skirt, she looked up at Gary, her question dying on her lips as she noticed what was behind him.

_Snowpoint_ _City_.

She had made it – _finally_!

Dawn looked greedily around at everything, taking in the snowy city.

She wanted to shake her head though, she was _so_ close.

There wasn't a doubt about it; she must have been walking around in circles.

"Say Gary," she said, her eyes stopping at the lit up Pokémon Center ahead. "How did you know I was out there?"

Was it just her, or did she see his face turn a couple shades redder? "Hmm, I didn't _know_ you were out there, I was just on my way back from Lake Acuity . . . and then I heard someone yelling and found you. But, where's Ash?"

Dawn's face darkened slightly, a small frown appearing on her features. "That Ash – ohh, that's the _last_ time I listen to his ideas! He said we could make it before the storm set . . . he said that Paul and Zoey would beat me here . . . augh! I'm never going to listen to him again!"

Gary let out a laugh, following after Dawn to the Pokémon Center. "That's our Ash," he muttered, shaking his head. "He always was the _act first, think later_ type of person, he did that more often then not I heard."

Dawn sighed, reaching the overhang of the Pokémon Center. "Really? Can you tell me any stories – I'd _love_ to have something to hold over Ash . . ."

Gary smiled slightly, moving towards the doors, automatically opening to let them in. "I don't really know anything, Ash and I didn't get along in the beginning, anyway. You'd have to ask Misty or Brock or even May about that."

"Brock!" Dawn chirped loudly, a huge grin on her face as she twirled around in the warm lobby. "I'll have to ask them when I see them in the morning! Oh, I wonder if they're here?"

"Who knows," Gary shrugged moving to the large couches adorning the empty room. "Ash usually turns up when you don't expect him."

"Right," Dawn nodded, remembering when she had fist met up with him. "I wonder where Nurse Joy is? I bet there aren't even any rooms left, the Contest is in like two days!"

"She probably already turned in for the night," Gary said, dropping his bag onto the nearest couch before undoing his heavy coat. "You'll just have to wait out here until the morning."

Dawn frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. She watched as Gary dropped his coat beside his bag, and stretching, slumped down on the couch. Slowly, her eyes still on Gary, but noticing a still burning fireplace flickering a couple feet away, she moved towards the comfortable seats. She smiled briefly at Gary as he looked momentarily up at her as she slumped down beside him.

"I'm glad that the Center was still open," she yawned, bringing her feet up underneath her body. "But, it's awesome that the fire is still burning, I'll be able to feel my legs again! I tell you," she said, stifling a yawn. "I'm _never_ going into another snow storm again!"

Gary laughed, grabbing the old blanket that had been draped along the back of the couch for reasons such as this, he presumed. "Then you'll be stuck here in Snowpoint forever," he muttered, placing the blanket over her thin frame.

"No, I won't," she said, trying to glare at him, but failing as her eyes wanted to close. "I can borrow Ash's Strapador . . . I'll _fly_ back to Celestic Town, thank you very much."

Gary laughed at her matter-of-fact tone on the subject, her eyes hardly managing to stay open. "Well then, if you're going to win the Contest, you're going to need your sleep," he shook his head as Dawn opened her mouth to speak. "No, it'll be fine Dawn; I'll stay awake until Nurse Joy shows up at the desk."

Tired, Dawn nodded lightly as she let out another yawn. "I owe you Gary," she said, her voice heavy with sleep, her head dropping.

Gary let out a small grin as Dawn's head dropped onto his chest, and bringing the blanket up higher to cover her bare arms before closing his eyes himself.

---

"I wonder where Dawn had to spend the night?" Ash asked, Pikachu on his shoulder as the automatic doors of the Pokémon Center sprung open.

Brock shook his head. "I don't know, maybe she made it here through the storm. We were lucky to find that lake."

Ash nodded in agreement, he _hadn't_ been lucky the last time him, Brock and Misty had gotten lost in that freak blizzard. "Maybe – do you think we should have stayed at the – Brock?"

Ash raised an eyebrow, noticing that Brock wasn't listening to him, but looking at something over his shoulder. He couldn't help but roll his eyes, it was probably Nurse Joy . . . but, where was Crogunk then? Fixing his hat with a frown, Ash glanced over his shoulders, his hands pausing before falling to his side, a huge grin appearing on his face.

The fire had long since died, but curled up on the couch, were two people . . . two people Ash knew _very_ well. Her blue hair was sticking up in every direction, the blanket drawn up to her chin, her head nestled into . . . "Gary?!"

Shocked, Ash couldn't help but smirk as he glanced back at Brock, a look of jealously on the other boys face. Shaking his head, his old rivalry with Gary flaring up, he couldn't help but sneak across the empty lobby to where the two were sleeping on the couch. Leaning on the back of the couch, his chin propped up on his palms, Ash couldn't help but let out a small chuckle – where was a camera when he needed it?

"Jeez Dawn, you look pretty comfortable there."

The reaction was instant.

Dawn jumped, jerking in her sleep, pushing herself away from the _pillow_ beneath her. Gary grunted from the push, waking up in an instant. Blearily, Dawn rubbed her eyes, groaning from the bright light shining in from the large windows. When she came to her senses, she froze, biting down on her lip.

"Ah! Ash!"

"Morning Dawn . . . Gary . . . had a good night?"

Dawn's face turned bright. "Ash!"

Gary just grinned at the other, draping his arm around Dawn – who was in the midst of trying to right herself – and bringing her back against his chest. "What are you jealous, Ash?"

"W-what?" Dawn stumbled, her eyebrows coming together.

"Well, I am," Brock said, still standing by the doorway, the automatic doors opening once again.

Dawn couldn't help but let out a laugh from her current position, her voice muffled.

_Yes_, never listen to Ash . . .

But, glancing through her eyelashes at Gary, she had to _agree_ with Ash as well.

Last night had been _interesting_.

Who knew Gary was _that_ smart and _that_ talented in the field of scientific research . . .

Maybe being lost in the snow storm wasn't that bad after all.

---

A/N: I haven't written Pokemon in forever, but I was in the mood for something old school.

Gary and Dawn ..... yes, it's about time he had someone too ....


End file.
